Not all sex workers want to serve people with disabilities and people with special needs. However, this does not apply to Lisette, a professional sex worker from Breda.
At age 20, Lisette decided to become a commercial sex worker, or escort, at Relax sex agency.
For five years, she lived life as ‘a butterfly of the night’ until she had a hernia so severe that she needed a discectomy on her spine. She had to undergo bed rest for three months. This period was a turning point for her. Lisette then began studying psychology, expanding her knowledge of intimacy in forming relationships.
Lisette’s interest in psychology was well-founded. According to her, she meets many clients who are not confident in their physical appearance and feel insecure when they have sex. Her high-paying clients were never truly content emotionally. Lisette began to apply what she had learned to her work, encouraging equality in the pursuit of pleasure. Lisette embarked on a new career as an independent escort. She eventually decided to set up her own sex agency and manage six sex workers.
The woman, whose full name is Lisette Mepschen, began to change her perspective. As a sex worker, she feels the need to satisfy her clients physically and emotionally, not providing merely fleeting pleasure but an experience that intertwines the physical and emotional. She puts her psychological knowledge into practice and builds relationships based on honesty and intimacy. “Since then, I’ve referred to myself as a pleasure activist and intimacy coach,” says Lisette.
For the past 12 years, Lisette has committed her life to sex work. In fact, she has spent the previous eight years serving clients with disabilities and people with special needs who are often unable to discuss sexual concerns.
Lisette, who’s also a movie enthusiast, lives in a small town in the southern Netherlands with her boyfriend Pietro, a native Italian from Trieste, and Lola, a seven-month-old puppy.
Artist Bios
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Hendra Eka
Hendra Eka is photojournalist based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Hendra started his career as a photojournalist in early 2009. Since becoming a photojournalist, Hendra photographed news, sports, and stories that focus on social issues, human rights, gender, and identity.
As a visual journalist and storyteller, Hendra has experience working as a visual creator, editor, curator, and project manager. Hendra has been assigned to capture many sports events, such a NBA games in California – USA, EURO football championships in Poland-Ukraine, Tour de France, Formula One (F1), Australian Basketball League (ABL) in Perth Australia, Sea Games Malaysia, and WTAFinals Tennis in Singapore. Besides sports, he is also assigned to cover the conflict between residents in Wamena – Papua, AirAsia crash in Kalimantan, investigation of a private plane belonging to an Indonesian tycoon in Singapore, WAN-Ifra at Bangkok, and many more. In addition to that, he has also 3-month overland expedition from Bangkok -Thailand to Wagah – Pakistan.
He was awarded three times for his photos at the Anugerah Pewarta Foto Indonesia (APFI), the highest award for photojournalist in Indonesia. Hendra is recipient of Erasmus Huis Fellowship to Amsterdam 2020, residency program from the Kingdom of the Netherlands for one photojournalist from Indonesia.
On the sidelines of taking pictures, Hendra also joined the largest photojournalist organization in Indonesia, Pewarta Foto Indonesia (PFI), as Secretary General.
He published his monograph entitled Lisette in March 2023. One of the photographs won the Award of Excellence in the Daily Life category from Pictures of the Year International, the oldest photojournalism competition in the world.
Visit his website to see other works and whether he is open for assignment.
Organizations
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Photoville
Founded in 2011 in Brooklyn, NY, Photoville was built on the principles of addressing cultural equity and inclusion, which we are always striving for, by ensuring that the artists we exhibit are diverse in gender, class, and race.
In pursuit of its mission, Photoville produces an annual, city-wide open air photography festival in New York City, a wide range of free educational community initiatives, and a nationwide program of public art exhibitions.
By activating public spaces, amplifying visual storytellers, and creating unique and highly innovative exhibition and programming environments, we join the cause of nurturing a new lens of representation.
Through creative partnerships with festivals, city agencies, and other nonprofit organizations, Photoville offers visual storytellers, educators, and students financial support, mentorship, and promotional & production resources, on a range of exhibition opportunities.
For more information about Photoville visit, www.photoville.com
Lisette
Featuring: Hendra Eka
Curated by: Kadir van Lohuizen
Supported by:
Locations
ON VIEW AT: Container 19
View Location Details Download a detailed map of this location Brooklyn Bridge Park – Emily Warren Roebling Plaza1 Water St
Brooklyn, NY 11201
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